Kirby Smart didn’t exactly push back when Lane Kiffin got tagged as the SEC’s resident “troll” on Tuesday at SEC Media Days in Tampa, Florida. If anything, Smart leaned into it, then quickly turned the conversation toward what makes Kiffin such a difficult coach to deal with.
“I don't even know what troll means. People say that all the time.
Can you define what a troll is for me, please, …” Smart said in response to a question about Kiffin. “Yep, that's him.
He would say I look like a troll. So, I wanted to make sure it wasn't defined by appearance because certainly he is the Adonis of all college football coaches.”
That exchange fit the dynamic between the two coaches, who go back to their time together at Alabama under Nick Saban and now find themselves on opposite sidelines in the SEC. Kiffin has built a reputation as the more talkative, playful presence, while Smart tends to stay far more reserved and businesslike.
But Smart made clear that Kiffin’s value goes well beyond the jokes and the social media noise. The LSU head coach has become known for using social media in ways most coaches don’t, whether he’s reacting to media reports, weighing in on other programs, or taking shots at fellow coaches.
Smart said the act is only part of the story.
“But he is very bright. He does an incredible job of evolving with college football.
He was really good at that with us at Alabama,” Smart said. “You know, he made Coach Saban uncomfortable.
Let's just say what it is. And he helped evolutionize that offense and bring it along and did some really good things in a day and age when people weren't doing them.”
Smart also acknowledged just how tricky it is to prepare for Kiffin’s teams, something he knows firsthand after coaching against him three times over the last three years. Smart has won two of those meetings, but that hasn’t made the matchup any easier.
“He's hard to play. I don't like having to play his teams because I know what he knows,” Smart said.
“And I know how he thinks about defenses. And he knows what he's doing.”
In Other News...
Pete Golding Just Went Off As Ole Miss Drama Follows Kiffin To LSU
Pete Golding spent SEC media days trying to steer the conversation back to football, but the Ole Miss coach ended up talking about the sports messier edges instead. Asked about tampering allegations involving linebacker Luke Ferrelli, Golding pushed back on the idea that one program is uniquely guilty, arguing the transfer portal has created a recruiting system where everyone is chasing players and everybody knows it. He also used the moment to defend the way coaches operate in the current landscape, drawing a direct line between player movement and the same kind of aggressive recruiting that has long defined the sport.
Goldings comments came with plenty of other Ole Miss undercurrents still hanging in the air, including the programs ongoing relationship with Lane Kiffin after his move to LSU. Golding said the two remain on good terms, even as fans continue to process the changes around the Rebels and the broader fallout from a roster and staff reshuffle that has kept this story moving well beyond the podium. For Ole Miss, the frustration is not just about one accusation or one departure, but about a system that keeps forcing schools to explain where competition ends and tampering begins. [Read more 🡒]
Pete Golding Just Unloaded On Lane Kiffin Over LSU Drama
Pete Golding used his time at SEC Media Days to frame one of the offseasons more delicate roster battles as a lesson in loyalty, legacy and what it means to stay put. The Ole Miss coach said he talked to players about the value of the programs alumni support and the long view of their careers, making the case that leaving can carry consequences beyond the immediate move.
Goldings comments also put Lane Kiffin back at the center of the conversation, with the Ole Miss staff clearly trying to keep players from being pulled along with him to LSU. The backdrop here is bigger than one decision or one transfer window: it is about how a coach sells stability to players when another job, another program and another set of promises are suddenly in the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Kiffin Just Put A Massive Label On LSUs New QB
Sam Leavitt arrived at LSU with a rsum that already says plenty about why the Tigers are betting on him to take over at quarterback. The Arizona State transfer helped lead his former team to the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, and the buzz around him has only grown since Lane Kiffin started drawing comparisons between Leavitt and one of the most productive quarterbacks he has coached.
Kiffins praise went beyond the usual offseason optimism, with the Ole Miss coach projecting Leavitt as the kind of talent that could hear his name called early in the NFL draft. He also pointed to the way Leavitt throws and moves as reasons the fit makes sense, while expressing confidence that the foot issue that slowed him last season will not keep him from making an impact this fall. [Read more 🡒]